"Well, it's BEEN done. I never thought you would go through with it, Elizabeth."

We clink bottles and smile wryly and wearily at each other.

The cards were stacked against us. The cards were stacked for us.

The line is hard to walk. A tightrope between good girl and bad girl. One of us would teeter one way; one the other. Holding hands, painting lives in fairy tales and late night runs for five finger discounts. Honor society and skateboards. The broken curfews and the virgin nights. The chiaroscuro that the adults understand even less than we do. So different, yet half of the other. Shoring each other up.

I hate the guys in the commercial, but the peach wine cooler is surprisingly sweet, even if I shiver at the idea that all of this is so wrong. But we did it. It gives me courage.

"I'm tired, Charlotte. Can we just crash?"

She yawns and strips off her shirt. "Might as well. You know mom is going to be down here at some stupid time, wanting us to come up for pancakes."

I down the last of the wine cooler in one gulp.

"Do you want the left side of the bed or the right?"

I don't say that it doesn't matter, because I will be next to her. "I like to be closest to the wall. You know that."